Mark Gallagher pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B, offering to supply class B, possession of Class B with intent to supply, fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of Class C and abstracting electricity

Paul Davies pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B

Today the final members of this organised drugs gang have been found guilty of their involvement in an extremely large cannabis farm in a quiet village in the heart of Cumbria.

This was a professional set up, whereby cannabis was being grown in at least 10 rooms in the house. A large diesel generator was bought in to power the electricity needed to maintain the plants in order to avoid unusually high utility bills.

The owner of the house, Paul Davies, was paid handsomely for renting it out to the other gang members specifically for the purpose of growing cannabis.

The CPS and Police are dedicated to bringing to justice those involved in producing and supplying drugs and will continue to work together using the proceeds of crime act to trace and recover any profits they have made from this illicit enterprise.”

Three men have been convicted of being involved in a major drugs conspiracy which centred on a stately home in the Eden Valley.

Dean Cameron, 53, Philip Branigan, 32, and Charles Neophytou, 47, denied playing roles in a plot based at the Grade II-listed Flass mansion in Maulds Meaburn, near Penrith.

Flass House, near Penrith Credit: ITV News Border

The offences took place over a 13-month period to May 2012. Police estimate an illegal cannabis bush with a street value of up to £5.2 million could have been produced during that time.

The three men were each found guilty by a jury in a trial that lasted nearly three weeks at Carlisle Crown Court.

Judge Paul Batty QC told the three men, all from addresses outside of Cumbria, that it was "inevitable" that they will each serve considerable jail terms.

The three men have been remanded in custody and are due to be sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court in September. They will be sentenced alongside five other men, also from outside the county, who previously pleaded guilty to the same charge.

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Cumbria Police have issued an appeal for witnesses after a robbery in Whitehaven this afternoon. Officers say the incident took place at around 1.20pm in Castle Park. The park has been closed while police carry out enquiries.

Cumbria Police have charged 38 people from across the county with "Cash for Crash" insurance fraud offences. Officers investigated numerous people for conspiring to defraud motor insurance companies for collisions that allegedly occurred in the county between 2010 and 2014.

Among the 38, Sarah Kidd, 33, from Carlisle, has been summoned to court for a connected offence of money laundering.

The investigation was a joint operation between Cumbria Police, the Motor Insurance Bureau and the Crown Prosecution Service.

All 38 people are expected appear before North Cumbria Magistrates Court on 28th July 2015 in connection with these offences.

Police are investigating the dumping of large numbers of chicken carcasses in west Cumbria.

Staff from Copeland Borough Council discovered disposals at Red Beck Road in Wath Brow and Bleach Green in Ennerdale Valley.

At the disposal site along Red Beck Road a lone surviving cockerel was found, captured and is currently being looked after by a member of Cumbria Constabulary.

Police say ‘George’, as he has been named, is doing well and will be adopted out once he fully recovers.

“The disposals are thought to have taken place very recently, possibly sometime last week. We are investigating to establish what exactly has happened.

"At the least this is an offence of fly-tipping and an environmental hazard, and at worst it potentially is a case of animal cruelty. I would urge anyone local to the area who may have any information to get in touch and help our investigation.”

– PCSO Alan Willison

Anyone with any information should call Cumbria Police on 101 and ask for PCSO Alan Willison, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A police officer who splashed out on luxury holidays and a BMW car while
lying about her income, expenditure and assets in a bid to pay less of her debts has been jailed for eight months.

Tracy Taylor of Irthington near Carlisle was working for Cumbria Police when she made false declarations while setting up an Independent Voluntary Agreement (IVA) - an arrangement with creditors to pay all or part of your debts.

The 43-year-old splashed out £9,000 in cash on a BMW Z3 car and several
thousand pounds on a luxury two week holiday to Italy after declaring her husband Paul and her only had a disposable income of £160 a month.

She told the insolvency practitioner when applying for an Independent
Voluntary Agreement that they were spending £595 on fuel and £595 on childcare each month.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how her childcare fees were actually £14.40
which her employer, Cumbria Constabulary, were paying leaving her with a bill of zero.

Andrew Walker, prosecuting, told the court how Taylor was only driving
eight miles a day to work and back and not the 40 miles a day which she declared.

Mr Walker added that Taylor was claiming her car insurance was £187 a month when direct debit showed it was just £90.

She also told them she paid monthly water bills or £45 which were actually
£20 a month.

Taylor failed to declare a savings plan she had which contained £1829 and
her ICA bank account with a balance of £316.

She did not declare that she had rented out her home, bringing in an extra
£750 a month, totalling £5250, while they were house sitting for a neighbour and living rent free.

After making false declarations, Taylor was asked to pay back £20,000 of
the £64,000 debt she had via the IVA. After considering her finances, £44,000 was written off by creditors.

Mr Walker said: "It's bound to have had an effect on the scope of the IVA
or whether an IVA would have been agreed at all."

Taylor and her husband, who is a chef, got into debt after three of her
husband's businesses, which made puddings, failed.

Mr Walker told the court that the Crown Prosecution Service offered no
evidence towards her husband Paul Taylor and the charges against him were dropped.

Her crimes came to light after an investigation by Cumbria Police and she
was arrested and charged.

Taylor admitted two counts of making a false representation and one count
of fraud at a previous hearing.

Mark Aldrid, defending, said: "They were the victims of fraud from a
fraudster. He defrauded them of £10,000.

"There was an employee dispute which resulted in them losing more money,
thousands of pounds.

"Mrs Taylor was failing at work.

"Medical records showed the Taylor's were trying for a another child and
failing for medical reasons.

"Medical records also show a history of depression.

"It was fear of failing to make the payments with the IVA that led her to
make these serious errors of judgement.

"In her mind she had to make the payments of the IVA. She tried to ensure
the monthly payment was one she could manage she went about this entirely the wrong way.

"She has made repayments totally £5000 and she is in touch with the IVA.

"She went about it completely the wrong way and has lost everything. She
has
lost her good character, she has brought shame on her family, she has been
dismissed from her employment."

"It was your responsibility to provide accurate information.

"Had the creditors and the insolvency practitioner known the actual amount
it's possible an IVA would not have been entered into and certainly it would
have been a much higher monthly figure and more would have been repaid.

"You were a serving police officer it's not surprise that the Insolvency
practitioner and the creditors accepted your forgery in this case. They
trusted you.

"Your life as a police officer is over. You were dismissed from the service yesterday at the disciplinary hearing."